2012, the comic, is truly the end of the world and it features Jackie Chan and vampire sexing, which all the kids are into these days. Featured in Conor Stechschulte's and Closed Caption Comics' anthology, Sock, Sam Gaskin proves the Mayans were right.

The Factual Opinion's Nina Stone writes:

"Gaskin riffs off of a multitude of philosophies and end-of-the-world hypotheses with everyone from Roy Orbision to Nostradamus, from the Hopi Indians to a horny Dracula over to the duo from Rush Hour. (I've left out a bunch of others intentionally because hey, I don't want to totally spoil it for you, right?) It's clever, hilarious, AND he finds a way to tie them all together into one great 2012, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario...

At first, I felt like I might not be smart enough to review this. But then I realized that it wasn't intelligence that I was thinking about, but the results of my intelligence--meaning I thought that this was a comic worthy of a great review, a review that would make people want to read it and experience it and laugh at it as much as I did. I wanted to be able to write the sort of thing that could compare and contrast it to other artists and comics in ways that would make people want to read along with me.

I figured out what all those feelings meant, eventually. It just meant that I am a Sam Gaskin fan.

“This comic is weird and absurd and silly and baffling in the best ways possible. The humor is as strange as they come, but importantly, it does it all with a straight face, there’s no winks to the audience, beyond of course just how silly it all can be. This is the kind of thing that’s right up my alley.”

- Kevin Czap, Comix Cube

Featuring guest appearances from the likes of Sigmund Freud, Scott McCloud and the Hotrod “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Wayward Girls came to life as a semi-weekly web comic by mysteriously pseudonymous authors working under the moniker Slechtemeisjes. We’ve since uncovered at least one actual name, Michiel Budel, an art school graduate and citizen of Netherlands. This is his first comic, which is shocking considering his skill, and to be expected, because there is simply nothing like Wayward Girls anywhere.

Weather marks the return of Gabby Schulz's signature comics avatar, Gordon Smalls. It's a bit of a departure for both Gabby and Gordon, being the first time Gabby's ever used any color in a print comic, and what has to be the first occasion in which the normally verbose Gabby and Gordon keep their mouths pretty well shut. Short, hilarious, beautiful and nasty, Weather makes a for a quick read and endless re-reads.

It seems we didn't learn well enough after the first issue of Wayward Girls because we have returned to scene of the crime with Wayward Girls 2, the latest print edition of Michiel Budel's web comic, Slechtemeisjes. Nominated for Bleeding Cool's "Comic Most Likely to Need Defending by the CBLDF in the Nest Twelve Months" Award and hailed as the "Greatest Comic of all Time" by CBR, Wayward Girls was definitely dangerous. Like most sequels, the volume gets turned up a bit for this one. Wayward Girls 2 is longer, harder and deeper than the first.

“It was surprising news - Budel's talent and vision are undeniable, but it was a little tough to believe that this weird stuff of all things had come due for a luxe treatment by one of alternative comics' most exciting imprints. Holding the eventual printed product was, however, enough to make a believer out of anyone.”

- Matt Seneca, Robot 6

The returning cast includes the likes of Sigmund Freud, Scott McCloud and the Hotrod “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, but we can add the Iron Sheik to the list now.

Eschew deploys a truly immaculate, almost inhumanly perfect line to depict us at our messiest and most human. Every story takes an unflinching look at the unfortunately familiar stupidity that comprises modern existence. These are those little moments, when no one is looking, that make you laugh out loud to remember, that you would think twice before sharing and that are the building blocks of wisdom.

The second installment of Eschew, first published by Dylan Williams’ Sparkplug Books, was nominated for an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Comic in 2010, and selected for inclusion Best American Comics 2011.

Rod Lott, of Bookgasm writes:

“This black-and-white anthology goes for the absurd, more often than not, starting with “Flying Squirrel,” in which a squirrel indeed flies, but unwittingly so. It’s wordless, save for one laugh-aloud line at the end... And you’re an asshole if you laugh. Like I did.”

The first installment of this visually uncanny series was selected as one of the thirty best mini-comics of the year by The Comics Journal. Expanding on themes of loneliness, ennui and commercialism, Sequential Vacation 2 follows the romantic beach fantasy of a man spending his weekend alone, with all the (way too) close-ups and entrancing textures that are the visual hallmarks of Sar’s comics. All this and a beach barbecue bonus for true believers. Have yourself some quality me-time with Sequential Vacation 2.

While both Sleeper Car and The Understanding Monster, which the New York Times’ Douglas Wolk described as “imagination turned up to fire hose intensity,” are works of fiction, Capacity has always been a true story. This latest installment is no exception. As Theo Ellsworth would tell you, everything really happened – in his mind. If you’re familiar with his comics, you know that you’re going to be part of the proceedings as well, or as the Village Voice wrote: “Ellsworth seeks, again and again, to transform the reader into his silent witness and co-conspirator.” He’s done it again with Capacity 8.

32 pages. Full color. After a seven year hiatus, Edie Fake returns to his Ignatz Award winning queer, abstract comic series, Gaylord Phoenix, to remind us of our collective strength. Gaylord Phoenix follows the danger-fraught journeys of the titular creature, confronting the reader with violent and unexpected manifestations of sexual connection and romantic possession. Beautifully printed and published by Perfectly Acceptable.

48 pages. Two-color. Edie Fake's eighth installment of his Ignatz Award winning queer adventure comic series, Gaylord Phoenix, continues the story of the Gaylord and the Under Witch from Gaylord Phoenix 7. The duo seek the help of the High-Over Empress to rebuild their shaken world. Gaylord Phoenix follows the danger-fraught journeys of the titular creature, confronting the reader with violent and unexpected manifestations of sexual connection and romantic possession. Gaylord Phoenix 8 is gorgeously printed by Pegacorn Press in an edition of 800.